Where my ancestors lived: Losice, Poland

I am writing a series of posts where I provide information about the towns where my ancestors lived. Geography is an essential part of genealogy and family history. We need to know where to look for records, and what we learn about the towns fills in information about how our ancestors may have lived.

My Blatt/Blatyta ancestors are from Losice. My second great grandfather, Morris Blatt, and his daughters Bryna/Blanche and Chana/Anna were likely born there.

Losice (Polish: Łosice; Russian: Lositsy; Yiddish: Loshits).

Province: Masovian Voivodeship / Lublin Voivodeship (before 1939)
GPS: 52.2113° N / 22.7185° E, 52°12'40" N / 22°43'6" E

Jews likely first settled in Losice at the end of the 17th century. On May 30, 1690 the Jewish cemetery was established - a privilege granted by King John III Sobieski. and also allowing Jews to settle in Łosice.

“In 1700, King August the Third [1696–1763] ordered the magistrates of Losice to carefully observe the dealings of Jewish merchants. The historical chronicler of the time reports that the magistrates aligned themselves with the Jews and did not bother them, but instead made things easier for them.”

The community numbered 654 (42% of the total population) in 1827, and 2,396 (71%) in 1897.

There is record of a pogrom in Losice in 1920. The community was liquidated 79 years ago on Aug. 22, 1942, when all the Jews of the town were deported to the Treblinka extermination camp.

Sources and Further Information:

1)Losice

2)Yizkor

3) Jewish Virtual Library

4) Shtetl.org.pl

5) IAJGS

6) Wikipedia

Where My Ancestors Lived: Varalmas, Hungary / Almasu, Romania

I am writing a series of posts where I provide information about the towns where my ancestors lived. Geography is an essential part of genealogy and family history. We need to know where to look for records, and what we learn about the towns fills in information about how our ancestors may have lived.

Váralmás / Almașu (Transylvania)

Latitude: 46.950
Longitude: 23.133

In 1907 my maternal grandfather, Martin Deutsch, was born in Váralmás (or Nagy-Almás), Hungary - which is now Almașu, Romania. The photographs on this page were taken in 2012.

The Jewish population, as recorded by census, was 11 in 1880, 51 in 1900, 35 in 1910, and 30 in 1930. As long as the census recorded all ages, my grandfather's family of 8 may have accounted for the entire drop between 1910 and 1930, if there were only a handful of births. While the Jewish population was small, nearby towns had larger populations. 

9 miles away in Huedin (where the train picked up my great grandfather and his family when they left) the Jewish population was 1,073 in 1900. 

Historic sights include a castle, and a citadel.

In May of 1944, the remaining Jewish population was moved 49 miles away to the Cehei ghetto, then to Șimleu Silvaniei. They were deported to Auschwitz between May 31 and June 8.

Sources and further information:

• Almasu, Salaj County - IAJGS Cemetery Project (which actually contains a link to one of my earlier posts.)
• Varalmas Castle
• Castelul Csaky, Almasu
• Almasu Citadel

Where My Ancestors Lived: Warka, Poland

I am beginning a series of posts where I provide information about the towns where my ancestors lived. Geography is an essential part of genealogy and family history. We need to know where to look for records, and what we learn about the towns fills in information about how our ancestors may have lived.

I am beginning with Warka, Poland, where my Newmark and Cantkert ancestors resided in the late 19th century, leaving in 1893. Either branch may have at one time resided nearby in Warsaw, but that is not certain. I believe my great grandfather, Barney Newmark, was born in Warka. While a small town, it was apparently a heavily Jewish town.

Warka, Poland 

Warka is a town in central Poland, situated in Grójec County, currently in the Masovian Voivodeship, but in the Warsaw Voivodeship prior to 1939. Latitude: 51°47'00 Longitude: 21°12'00 

Warka obtained its city charter in 1321. A village called Winiary, which today is part of Warka, was the countryside residence of the Pulaski family where General Casimir Pulaski spent his childhood. Pulaski is known for his assistance in the American Revolution, and there is a Casimir Pulaski Day on the first Monday of March in Illinois, celebrated mostly in areas of large Polish population, such as Chicago. Warka has also been known for its famous brewery since the 15th century. 

Jews settled in Warka in the second half of the 18th century. In 1800, 339 Jews lived in Warka, which was 51.5% of the total population. In 1921 the percentage had held with 50.5%. Warka is known for a Hasidic dynasty, and its founder, Isaac Kalish (1779–1848), became one of the most noted ẓaddikim in central Poland in the first half of the 19th century. After the outbreak of World War II, many Jews escaped Warka, seeking refuge in the Soviet occupation zone. In 1940 many died of disease in the ghetto. In February 1941, Jews were deported from Warka to Treblinka. Few survived.

Sources and more info: 

• Warka Hasidic Dynasty (Jewish Virtual Library)
• The Wooden Synagogue of Warka (Avotaynu)
• Warka and the Holocaust (JewishGen)
• The Jewish Cemetery in Warka (IAJGS Cemetery Project)
• Wikipedia

Amanuensis Monday: Declaration of Intention for Philip Jacobs (1889-1954)

Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another. I continue my project to transcribe family letters, journals, newspaper articles, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin - some I never met - others I see a time in their life before I knew them.

Today I share the Declaration of Intention to Naturalize for Phillip Jacobs, the husband of my great grandfather's sister, Kate Newmark Jacobs. 

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

DECLARATION OF INTENTION

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

NORTHERN ILLINOIS DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS

My full, true, and correct name is PHILLIP JACOBS, formerly known as PHILLIP PINONZEIG

My present place of residence is 5808 N. Kenmore Avenue

My occupation is Tailor

I am 51 years old

I was born on Dec 10, 1889 in Lomza, Poland

My personal description is as follows: Sex male, color white, complexion fair, color of eyes blue, color of hair brown, height 5 feet 4 inches, weight 160 pounds, visible distinctive marks mole on left arm, race White, present nationality Polish.

I am married; the name of my wife or husband is Katie; we were married on 2-6-1913 at St. Louis, Mo. he or she was born at London, England Sept 19, 1896; and entered the United States at New York on about 1910 for permanent residence in the United States, and now resides at with me.

I have two children; and the name, sex, date and place of birth, and present place of residence of each of said children who is living, are as follows:

Nettie, F, born Dec 15, 1914

Harold, M., born July 27, 1916; both born and reside in Chicago, Ill.

My last place of foreign residence was Lomza, Poland.

I emigrated to the United States from Bremen, Germany

My lawful entry for permanent residence in the United States was New York under the name of Dzeikops (Jacobs) Philip on Dec 4, 1911 on the SS Prinz Frederich Wilhelm

Since my lawful entry for permanent residence I have not been absent from the United States, for a period or periods of 6 months or longer, as follows:

I shave not heretofore made declarations of intention.

Philip Jacobs (Signature)

Subscribed and sworn to (affirmed) before me in the form of oath shown above in the office of the Clerk of said Court, at Chicago, Illinois the 17th day of June, anno Domini 1941. I hereby certify that certificate No. 11-283115 from the Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization showing the lawful entry for permanent residence of the declarant above named on the date stated in this declaration of intention has been received by me, and that the photograph affixed to the duplicate and triplicate hereof is a likeness to the declared.

Hoyt King

Clerk of the US District Court

(Illegible Signature) Deputy Clerk

Notes: 

1) I have seen surnames spelled in interesting and unusual ways. Dzeikops for Jacobs might take a prize, but it makes sense. The is no J sound in the Hebrew or Yiddish alphabet. Biblical names that normally begin with J in English (like Joseph, Jacob, Jonathan) actually start with the Y sound in Hebrew. For someone to try to spell Jacobs phonetically without a J, Dzeikops is fairly accurate. 

2) As I indicated last week, the date of birth for Kate is incorrect. Philip had the year of birth for their daughter Nettie/Natalie off by a year. It appears that after Philip filled out his forms, Kate's forms were "corrected" to match his on both Natalie's birth and their marriage year. Even though Kate likely was correct on both counts.